Receive the morning news briefs delivered to your email inbox every morning. Click here to sign-up.
Burr ‘Troubled' By Firing Of Comey
North Carolina Senator Richard Burr has weighed in on President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey.
Burr, a Republican, is the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Burr released a statement saying he is “troubled by the timing and reasoning of Director Comey's termination.” Burr called Comey a “public servant of the highest order,” and says his dismissal “further confuses an already difficult investigation by the Committee.”
The Senate Intel Committee has been investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Court Asked To Revive Challenge To Gay-Marriage Recusal Law
A federal appeals court will consider whether three North Carolina couples have legal standing to challenge a law allowing magistrates with religious objections to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.
The couples want the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, to revive the lawsuit because they say the state is spending tax dollars to accommodate magistrates' religious views. The couples argue those expenditures give them the right to sue, despite a district court ruling to the contrary. Oral arguments are scheduled for Wednesday.
Senate Budget Keeps To Tax Cuts, Controlled Spending
Senate Republicans are keeping to a pattern of pushing state budgets that keep a check on spending while cutting taxes and setting aside lots of money for the next rainy day.
GOP leaders in the chamber planned to run their two-year budget plan through several committees Wednesday before floor votes by the end of the week.
The measure aims to spend $22.9 billion in the first year — a 2.5 percent increase over the current year's budget law. That uptick is half the rate that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper recommended in his budget plan.
The Republican budget also cuts income tax rates and raises the state's reserves to over $1.8 billion. The Senate also offers raises for teachers and state employees, although they're not as generous as Cooper proposed.
Lawmakers To Weigh In On 'Raise The Age' Measure
North Carolina lawmakers will consider a measure to end a practice that automatically prosecutes 16- and 17-year-olds for crimes as adults.
The "raise the age" legislation is up for debate Wednesday in a House judiciary committee.
The state is set to be the only one in the country that automatically tries teens as adults since New York legislators agreed in April to a two-year phase out of the practice.
House Bill Seeks Human Trafficking Education, Service Funds
North Carolina has laws punishing human traffickers, but some House members say more must be done to prevent young women from entering the forced sex trade and help those rescued from it get their lives back on track.
House Republicans on Tuesday discussed proposed legislation to establish a pilot program in three urban counties to teach public school students about the dangers and signs of human trafficking and teach law enforcement officers how to detect it. The measure also envisions funding to help nonprofits create shelters that house sex-slave victims and to provide mental health services.
Credit Suisse Gets $40 Million In Tax Breaks, Adds 1,200 Jobs In NC
Credit Suisse is adding 1,200 jobs at its technology hub in North Carolina, which approved more than $40 million in tax breaks on Tuesday to lure the jobs away from the New York City area.
The Swiss bank is reorganizing operations and sharply reducing its workforce after two years of losses, cutting up to 6,500 jobs this year after slashing its overall headcount by 7,200 last year.
The announcement comes five weeks after North Carolina partially repealed a state law limiting the rights of gay and transgender people. Passage of House Bill 2 in March 2016 led financial firms Deutsche Bank and PayPal to cancel North Carolina expansion plans.
But the partial repeal is enough for Credit Suisse, which had been reconsidering its plans for North Carolina because House Bill 2 suggested the state would not provide the inclusivity its employees need, according to Credit Suisse Vice Chairman Wilson Ervin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad